Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies (LALC)

Serves as a general interdisciplinary introduction to Latin America.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies

This course introduces students to the economic history of Latin America. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we will examine the impact that commodities such as cacao, sugar and coffee have had on Latin American economies, global food culture and globalization. We begin with pre-Columbian Americas, continuing with an analysis of colonial Latin America, followed by post-independence / post-colonial Latin America. We end with a review of contemporary Latin America, touching on such themes as fair trade, direct trade, organic production.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Social Science

This course examines Latinx migration and mobility across North, Central, and South America as well as the Caribbean. It explores why Latinx migrants move to new places, what happens to them along the way, and their experiences in new destinations, such as the U.S. We will consider how race, class, age, gender, and nationality, among other things, influence and shape the migration process. We will reflect on how the act of migration transforms migrants, those left behind, and those encountered along the way. We will discuss topics such as borders, citizenship, diaspora, globalization, and immigration enforcement. We will analyze migration as a social, cultural, political, and economic phenomenon and study the mobility of people, ideas, and capital. Above all, we will investigate the role of Latinx migration in producing and transforming our contemporary world.

GPA units: 1

Common Area: Cross-Cultural Studies

Typically Offered: Every Third Year

GPA units: 1

Typically Offered: Fall, Spring